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British Singer Robert Palmer Dies in Paris
PARIS (Reuters) – British rock singer Robert Palmer, best known for his hit 1980 videos featuring leggy models in short black dresses and electric guitars, died of a heart attack Friday. He was 54.
Palmer’s record company said the Yorkshire-born singer, who lived in Switzerland, died while on a trip to Paris where was taking a break with his girlfriend after recording a documentary in London.
The father of two had his biggest success with the 1985 single “Addicted to Love” and its accompanying video which featured a lineup of sexy backing singers. The clip was voted the eighth best of all time by MTV viewers.
Palmer frequently peaked in the charts during the 1980s with catchy, songs like “I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On” and “Simply Irresistible,” often accompanied by testosterone-fueled videos.
Accused of being a male chauvinist after the “Addicted To Love” video, Palmer protested in a recent newspaper interview that it was not his idea to include the women in the clips.
“People think the video was my idea, that I would happily portray myself as a James Bond of boogie. That surprises me because I don’t think about my image at all.” He said the girls were filmed separately and edited into a clip of him singing.
“When I saw it I was shocked,” he said. “Simply Irresistible was quite a sexy video but they have become so erotic these days that if my three were released now they wouldn’t cause a stir.”
Palmer, whose smart suits and laconic style set the tone for much of the 1980s pop scene, died in his hotel room just off the Champs Elysees, a Paris police spokeswoman said.
“Everyone at Universal Music is deeply shocked and saddened at the terrible news,” Universal said in London. “Our thoughts are with his family and friends at the difficult time.”
Palmer’s latest album “Drive” was described by critics as a melting pot of old R&B, Bahamian and Caribbean music, jump blues, Delta blues and raunch ‘n’ roll.
He discussed those influences in an interview on Wednesday at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in Soho, London, for a TV program called “My Kinda People,” a spokesman for Yorkshire television told Reuters.
Born Alan Palmer, the son of a naval officer, Palmer saw no TV or movies until he was 12. Limited to music, he soon became a fan of the rhythm and blues of Lena Horne and Nat King Cole.
Giving off a clean-living image with his love of three-piece suits, Palmer never embraced the excesses of a rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle and pursued a solo career after playing in locally renowned bands like Dada and Vinegar Joe in his 20s.
“I just always felt comfortable in a suit and tie,” he once said. “It’s served me well, because I never got aligned with any fashion trend. I simply believed that if you’re going to be in public, dress up.”